If you are going to Great American Ballpark for a day game, you better hope a big crowd won't be joining you. I had the misfortune of trying to park for the Reds game vs. the Cardinals on 8/11. The 12:35 start isn't something I usually go for anyway, but I learned that parking during the work day is a nightmare.

I knew that my $2 garage would be for P&G employees only, but there were a number of other garages that were full or passes only which normally would be open to Reds fans in the evening.

I ventured into the Tower Place garage, and after following a line of cars level after level after level, we found that the lot was completely full. It would be nice if the management would stop handing out tickets at this point. Needless to say, turning all of those cars around and heading back out was not fun.

After that fiasco I decided to head straight to Kentucky. I got off the first Covington exit, parked in the Mainstrasse lot for free, and shared a cab with a couple other Reds fans to the ballpark. It cost about $2 per person. After the game I flagged down a cab my self, offered the guy all my money ($7) and he took me back to my car.

Moral of the story is this; if you are going to a business man's special at Great American Ballpark, you should park in Kentucky. Both Newport and Covington have TANK shuttles that run back and forth for $1.25 per person. I was late for the game or I would have waited for the shuttle.

The final benefit to parking in KY for a Reds day game is the fact that traffic is negligible when you go to leave. Getting out of the streets of downtown or the garages can be a titanic struggle.